Grinding-machine for cutlery



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

H. A. AXTELL.

@BINDING MACHINE POP. GUTLERY.

Patented Nov. 27, 1888.

ill-f (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. A. AXTELL.

@BINDING MACHINE POR GUTL'BRY. No. 393,497. Patented Nov. Z7, 1888.

ZW I

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY A. AXTELL, OF MONTAGUE, ASSIGNOR TO THE JOHN RUSSELL CUTLERY COMPANY, OF TURNERS FALLS, MASSACHUSETTS.

GRINDING-NIACHINE FOR CUTLERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 393,497, dated November 27, 1888.

Application filed July 1, 1887. Serial No. 243,114.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, HENRY A. AXTELL, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Montague, in the count-y of Franklin and Oom` monwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Machine for Grinding the Blades of Table and other Knives, of which the following is a true'and full specication.

My invention is an improvement in machinery employed to facilitate the holding and grinding of knife-blades for table and other use after they have passed from the forge.

In grinding knives, commonly, the blades are placed in a temporary holder or dat stick, as it is called, and held upon a revolving stone, behind and somewhat above which the operator sits and bears down with all the force and strength he can command. As all marks of the forge have to be ground out and brought down smooth and even, so that the blades will have a perfect finish, and as said blades are not of a uniform thickness, this becomes a very laborious and trying task to the operator, especially his arms, breast, and stomach muscles.

My invention is for the purpose of making the Work of grinding less laborious to the operator and allow him to utilize his feet and limbs as well as the upper portion of his body in his work.

The invention consists, chiefly, of a frame sustaining a movable shaft which holds the knife to be ground, the said shaft being controlled by short handles or levers in the hands of the operator seated upon a saddle located behind the grindstone, the necessary pressure being applied to the blade by the aid of foot levers.

ln the drawings illustrating my invention, Figure l is a top view of the machine. Fig. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a section on the line of the shaft F. Fig. 4 is a section through the box L, showing springs, &c.

Similar reference-letters indicate like parts in all of the figures.

Referring to the drawings, A is the saddle on which the grinder sits, located conveniently to the grindstone L", and supported upon a suitable foundation or base. The saddle is (No model.)

composed of several horizontal layers of material, c, which may be taken ont or replaced to lower or raise it to the proper elevation, and a seat made to conform to the body of the operator. Bars a, slotted from their lower ends upward, are secured by suitable bolts, a', to the foundation A4, and also the seat of the saddle.

b Z1 are slotted bars permanently secured obliquely to the saddle A, which have at their lower ends footrests P,adjustable in said slots to suit the legs of thc operator. These rests form stirrups to support the feet of the operator when he is not using them to bear down, through thc foot-levers, upon the stone in gri uding.

B and C are compound levers united by links b3, the former of which are pivoted in the foundation or base at b4 and the latter pivoted at b5 in said base. To the ends b of the llevers B and the foundation or base are secured spiral springs S, and to said ends b are secured treadles r, provided with shanks 7', perforated for purposes of adjustment, said shanks being movable vertically in guides bl, attached to said base.

D D are posts movable vertically in dovetail guides D'. Slotted bars E are adj ustably secured to the posts D and pivoted centrally to the lever-arms C. The purpose of the slotted bars E is to adj ust the relations between.

the levers C and posts D, to compensate for the wear of the stone in the operation of grinding. The posts D terminate at their upper ends in collars H, hereinafter to be mentioned.

A shaft, F, is journaled in annular bearings I, which are pivoted upon pins c5, after the manner of gimbal-rings, in the collar H. By means of these pivoted bearings asligli't rocking motion is allowed to the shaft F within said collars when one or the other end of the said shaft is moved vertically by the operator from the levers B C.

The collars H are provided with shanks a,

`which fit in sockets secured to the posts D,

essary to do so, entirely from place. On the roo shaft F, between the posts D and the knifeholder, are handles G', by which, in the hands of the operator, the said shaft and that which it carries may be easily handled. The knifeholding device is composed of a metallic bar, H', on the outer ends of which arejournaled eccentric-rollers J. Secured to the bar H are springclamps 7.', which when borne upon by the said eccentrica, the knife being in position, are pressed down to form holds about the bolsters of the knives, to keep thelatter in position in the operation of grinding. The bar H has interposed between it and the shaft F Va cushion, e, and said bar is firmly secured to said shaft by suitable bolts. The eecentrics J are provided with knobs fi", by which said eccentrics may be revolved to clamp or release the knife. The bar H 'has on its face a metallic bearing-strip, 7;', for the knife, said strip being about twice the length' of the knife-V blade, double wedge-shaped, and thickest in the middle. The outer surface of this plate is oblique laterally in a degree equal to the difference between the edge and back of the ordinary knife-blade. The purpose of the form of this plate, as described, is to offer opposite and perfect bearings to the blade of a knife on one or when reversed to the opposite of said wedge-shaped bearings, se that when the knife is pressed upon the grinding-surface it will be normal to the same. It may be further explained that when one surface or side of the knife-blade is finished the knife is released from one 0f the spring-clamps, turned end for end, and clamped upon the opposite side of thesaid bearing-plate. Y'

The shaft F is capable of a movement ax# ially the full length of a knife-blade on either side, so as to allow the said knife to be freely moved over the stone its full length. In aetual practice it is my purpose to use stones of different thicknesses, so as to bein accord with different lengths of blades, in order that said blades in their entire length may beground at once and not require the sliding of them laterally.

To steady and control the action of the shaft 'F in bearing the blades onto the stone, I place near the top, on each of the postsD sustaining the shaft F, a box, L, set longitudinally with the machine, containing two spiral'springs, ZZ, the tension of which may be regulated, if necessary, by some ordinary means, and on the outsides of this box is a divided cover, m m', each part of which has a sliding movement. Pins a n project out of said box and serve as contact-points for arm g, secured to the shaft F. Vhile the shaft F is being manipulated said arms 'g contact with said pins a a, which, together with the springs Z, tend to throw said arms and shaft back to normal position, thus assisting to steady the movement of the knives with reference to the surface of the stone.

To assist in holding the knife being ground up from the stone after it has been turned up for observation, I use a weight, u, on the end of thev shaft F, said weight being so placed that when the plate His up the weight will be down. rlhis weight need not be very heavy, but sufficiently so to keep the plate up while the knife is being reversed ou its bed.

It is an important matter in this machine that the action of the levers B C, operated by the feet of the operator, are capable of independent action, thus allowing of a variable pressure from heel to point on everypart of the blade on the stone,aceording to the desire of the operator. y

By means of the handles G it is obvious that the shaft F may be turned at arbitrary intervals by the grinder or operator in order that he may observe the effect of the stone upon the knife.

I make no special mention of the grindstone used with this machine, as it is of the ordinary form fixed upon a suitable shaft whichis j ournaled in the frame of the machine in the usual manner, and provided with pulleys or suitable gear-wheels communicating with the power.

In order to facilitate a ready return of the shaft F to normal pcsition,I employ a weight, t, which I 13X Aadjustably upon the outer end of the lever-arm B. By means of the opening S the movement to the knife-holding shaft may be rendered easy, yielding, and without shock.

I claimil. In a machine .for grinding cutlery, the saddle having bars for holding and adjusting the seat and slotted bars for regulating the height of the Vfoot-rests, as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, with the operating-levers, com posedeach of two parts linked together and pivoted to a suitable base, as described, of treadles provided with shanks adjustably pivoted to the ends of arms B and movable in suitable guides, springs secured to the ends If of the said levers B and some fixed parts of the said base, the slotted bars E, pivoted to the arms C, vertically-movable posts D, and shaft F, carrying the knife to be ground, connected to posts D, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combinatiomwith the knife-carrying shaft, of the vertically-movable posts, collars H, connected to said posts and collars F, and bearings I, which rest in said collars and en` circle said knife-earrying shaft, as and for the purpose set forth.

. 4. The combination,with the knife-holding i i forth.

5. The eombinatiomwith the knife-carrying shaft, of a bed havinga double-inclined plane, properly secured, serving as a bearing for the knife, and a suitable elastic interposed substance between said shaft and said inclined bed, as set forth.

6. The combination,with the knife-carrying shaft and the knife-bed, of springs k, secured IIO for end, in order that both sides may be eguali-y weil treated in the operation of grinding.

8. The combinatiomwith the bed-plate provided with inclined surfaces, as described, of Clamping-springs 7c and eccentric-rollers f, as I 5 and for the purpose set forth.

HENRY A. AXTELL.

Witnesses:

RICHARD N. OAKMAN, Jr., D. A. HEALEY. 

